The pursuit of world domination at Canvas on now!!

Our favourite little bar, canvas, is gearing up again for the 3rd round of World Class, the world's search for the best cocktail bartender.

Bartenders from over twenty countries are competing in this global event and canvas are firmly stamping their mark on the scene! Having already taken 1st, 2nd & 3rd placings in the previous two rounds, and having tasted 2 of the 3 cocktails being served up in the competition this round, my guess is they are in with a damn fine chance of total world cocktail domination!!

Each round they are given a particular theme and spirits to which they are to base their cocktail around and this round it is Ron Zacapa 23 year Anos, Talisker 10 year old and Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve with the theme being to create a pre-prohibition style gentleman's drink.

So when brisbane a la mode was invited in to experience these new cocktails and get the low down on the stories and inspiration behind their creations, I must say I was personally very! ex!cited!! Whilst I am as far from a 'gentleman' as you can imagine (gentleman don't wear candy coloured louboutins to dinner right?) these really aremy kind of drinks. With the good old fashioned whiskey sour being my usual cocktail of choice at canvas (best in town hands down), I was keen to try out something new!

First up was Marcos creation, Gold Rush which was inspired by the classic American cocktail "Vieux Carre' and starts off with a 3 step palate cleansing ritual which prepares you for the main event. Marco first engages your sense of smell with a peat and citrus wood ball, then your sense of touch with a flowers & citrus hand wash, and completes the cleansing with a chocolate coated red wine fig wrapped in Serano ham.

The cocktail is the most extraordinary part of this experience though, and the chocolate bitters infused lavender smoke gives the drink a nice, complex, smoky note, otherwise not present in this particular type of spirit and takes his creation to a whole new level!

Next we tried Kal's creation, The king of Britannia, which is based around the 'steam punk' alternate reality and he makes use of the Ron Zacapa spirit. This is a rum that is created using a complex ageing system which blends different ages into one fine blend. So basically the oldest part keeps on getting older and the youngest remains the same.

Kal complements this lovely rum with a chocolate liqueur, pineapple & black cardamom bitters (created in house by kal himself) grappa, fresh pineapple and is finished of with an aromatic fog (we heart anything that calls for the use of liquid nitrogen!). It is served up with a newspaper from 1889 which gives you the story of the new king of Britannia, prince Edward Albert, and is a perfect theatrical finish to this 'steam punk' reality inspired experience.

The guys are serving up the 3 world class creations at Canvas right now so get down there and support our local small bar scene and our very talented Brisbane bartenders Marco, Kal & Krystal who are so set to take this one home!

We wish Canvas all the very best in their pursuit of world domination!! (we are quietly, or not so quietly, confident that they have some serious 'winning' going on! no trolls needed)